The Cruise
by just soup-er
Summary: Naomi is on a cruise with her boyfriend of two years, but when they have problems, who just happens to be around?
1. Just like Rose

**New story, the other one bored me to write; god knows what it must've been like to read! I can only apologise.  
>I thought doing a completely AU story would be more fun, so let's see!<strong>

**Summary: Naomi is on a cruise with her boyfriend of two years, but when they have problems, who just happens to be around?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing of relevance here, anyway. **

I really fucking wished I'd never watched Titanic. I didn't find it scary at the time, curled up on the sofa with a bag of tortilla chips, half frustrated at the lack of competence of the crew and half sneering at the unrealistic 'love-at-first-sight' relationship that was in full bloom after about half an hour. In fact, I'm not sure now why I even watched it all the way through. Like I said, I really fucking wished I hadn't.

Because now I was in a familiar position. Explosive argument with the other half, flee from the room in anger and despair, straight out onto the deck and looking out across the water. Just like Rose. Only not suicidal. And I was wearing a baggy top, dark skinny jeans and bare foot, as opposed to her elegant attire. Okay, so not just like Rose, but there were similarities in our situations. Like the fact that we were both completely and utterly pissed at our partners.

Which is why I was out in the cool, night air, elbows propped on the railings, hoping the images of the stupid film would disappear and cursing myself for not picking up my fags before I stormed out of the cabin. I sighed, closing my eyes and allowing the sound of the calm sea to wash over me. Why would someone with the ultimate hatred of feeling trapped opt to go on a cruise, where there really was nowhere to escape? For a month. With a boyfriend that really could be a prick…

_"Naomi, are you seriously angry at me for this? Like, seriously? Because if so, what the fuck? And if not, bit of an inappropriate joke, don't you think?"_

_I stopped my pacing to spin around and face him, my expression incredulous._

"_22. I am 22 years old, Freddie, as are you. What makes you think that I'd want to be tied down at 22? Is that why you booked this cruise? To spoil me a bit before you proposed. Jesus, Freddie. 22!"_

_I ignored the hurt look on his face, but was a little shocked when it turned into anger._

_"Spoil you a bit? Have you any idea how much this cruise cost? Or the ring, or the engagement p-" He stopped himself immediately, his eyes not meeting mine, shuffling uncomfortably under my glare._

_"Engagement party? Bit presumptuous, aren't we, Freds? I do have an idea of how much this cruise cost, yes, seeing as I fucking booked the thing whilst you were working. Not every day you get to book your own engagement surprise." I spat at him, surprised even at my own rage. I was overreacting, and I needed to get out before I said something I regretted. I started towards the door._

_"Nai, come on. I know we're young, but we love each other." He grabbed me gently by the wrist. I remained facing the door. "We've been together two years now, it's the next step, surely? Where are you going?"_

_I sighed, brushing his hand from my arm and turning to face him._

_"You should know me well enough after said two years to realise that I don't follow the steps", I smiled sarcastically before pushing him out the way and slamming the door behind me."_

Okay, so it was all a bit bitchy. I was pissed at the proposal, but for him to have the audacity to assume my response would be yes? I almost laughed bitterly at the idea of him on the phone to someone now, telling them to cancel the order of balloons and 'happy engagement banners'.

I was drawn out of my ruthless imagination by the presence of someone else casually leaning next to me on the railing, their exhaled smoke drifting past my face in a taunting yet innocent manner. I threw a sideways glance towards them, preparing either to sweet talk a cigarette out of them before politely excusing myself to a more secluded area, or simply telling them to fuck off.

Any potential dialogue was caught at the back of my throat, along with the breath that refused to come out when I properly looked at them. Christ. Her cherry red hair fell just below her shoulders, a few disobedient strands blowing in her face – which we will return to – in the breeze. I clenched my fists to prevent myself from tucking them behind her ears. Her big, brown eyes were thoughtful and gentle as she stared out across the sea, as though she was deep in thought yet completely at ease. She brought the cigarette to her lips, an action I was eternally grateful for, as it gave me the excuse to observe them for longer than was generally accepted during first encounters. I swept my eyes down her body appreciatively, before catching myself and returning my gaze to her eyes. Which now met mine, an amused and vaguely pleased glint in them, before returning the favour and slowly sweeping over my body. I squirmed uncomfortably under her stare.

"Do I need to give you the speech?" she began, a lopsided grin on her face. I was so surprised by the soft, husky tone to her voice that I barely registered the lack of sense in her question.

"Wha-..sorry? What speech?" I stuttered before pulling myself together and avoiding any eye contact in an act of what I hoped was nonchalance.

"Oh, you know. Don't jump," she breathed out in a bored tone, handing me a newly lit fag that I hadn't seen her light. "The water's so cold it'll hit you like a thousand knives" she quoted in her attempt at an American accent.

I struggled to contain my smirk. Looked like I wasn't the only one with Titanic on my mind. I added the brief encounter with a stranger to my personal list of similarities to Rose before accepting the cigarette and taking a long toke.

"What makes you think I was going to jump? Maybe I wanted some fresh air. It's nice out here at" I briefly glanced at my watch "1am". I smiled sheepishly at her, my heart fluttering slightly when she returned it.

"Well, firstly you're not wearing any shoes. Which, from my extensive knowledge of Titanic, is a telltale sign. Also, you looked pissed off, conflicted even." She said thoughtfully, head tilting to one side. "Oh, and you look like you're about to freeze your tits off, which makes me think you're not just out here for some fresh air."

With that she shrugged off her jacket, revealing a large grey hoodie that seemed to swamp her, and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"You don't have to-"

"I know" she smiled sweetly at me, flicking her cigarette away and winking at me. "But it gives me an excuse to have to see you again after tonight. That's my favourite jacket."

And with that she turned away from me and walked off, only stopping when I called out.

"Wait!" I yelled, surprising both myself and, it appeared by her perfectly raised eyebrow, her. "What's your name?"

She started walking backwards away from me, a flirtatious smirk tweaking at her lips, her eyes shining.

"Emily," she called back, glancing behind her to ensure she wouldn't trip. "Could this whole night get a little bit more coincidental and your name be Rose?" she added cheekily.

"Sorry to disappoint" I flirted back just as much, despite the little voice at the back of my head profusely reminding my about my boyfriend anxiously awaiting my return. "But no. It's Naomi."

With a slight nod of her head and one final wave, she was gone, leaving me alone to figure out why my heart was beating so fast and why I suddenly felt more invigorated than I had done in years.

**What do you reckon? Worth substituting for revision and failing exams? Do tell.**


	2. Croissants

**Thank you all for the alerts/favourites/reviews! I'm not as pleased with this chapter, mostly because I'm exhausted from revision today but I thought I'd get it written anyway! Negative criticism welcome too. I can take it ;)**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately haven't acquired the ownership of Skins since yesterday. Working on it.**

"Why do you keep looking around all the time?" Freddie questioned through a mouthful of toast, not swallowing his current bite before taking another. Nice.

I took a bite of my own breakfast, giving me time to formulate an answer in my head. Not for Freddie, as such, but for myself. Why did I keep looking around all the time? Probably the same reason I spent the majority of the night tossing and turning and sighing with frustration when sleep just wouldn't come. And the same reason I actually took more than 20 seconds to apply make up this morning, providing Freddie with apology material: compliments. It was also probably for the same reason that I wore a dress that showed just enough cleavage to be enticing yet appropriate. And-

"Nai, seriously. It really pisses me off when you ignore me like that" Freddie interrupted my thoughts, his expression a mixture of exasperation and hurt. "I thought we were alright now? Agree to forget the proposal, enjoy the cruise, and maybe you'll let me back into bed, remember?"

I smiled, my mind drifting back to our conversation this morning.

"_Babe, I'm sorry about last night. I got a bit ahead of myself, I know it's a bit soon but I really do love you" I heard the voice of my boyfriend, and automatically rolled over to face him and respond. Only to remember that in my ultimate motherbitch state last night, I'd demanded that he sleep on the floor. Of a cabin. On a cruise ship. Okay, so probably not my kindest of moments, but for some reason I couldn't stand the thought of sharing a bed with him last night. Probably the same reason… let's not get into that again._

"_Shit, did you really sleep there all night? I feel like such a bitch. I should be the one saying sorry" I responded, sitting on the edge of the bed to see Freddie doing the same on the floor, his eyes only half open and his hair sticking out at all angles. He really did look cute. _

"_Can we just forget this whole thing even happened?" He questioned hopefully, reaching out to stroke my foot affectionately, finally looking more awake. "I just want to enjoy the rest of this cruise with you, girlfriend or fiancé" _

_I grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it before nodding. "Sure."_

"_Thank god for that" he sighed dramatically, wiping pretend sweat off of his forehead. "If you hadn't agreed to make up I'd have to put the ring to use and propose to someone else on the ship, just so I wouldn't waste this expensive engagement present!"_

_I scoffed and slapped his head playfully, grinning as a relaxed smile spread across his face._

"_Breakfast?" he questioned, standing up and stretching his aching (oops) back._

I chewed dramatically, pointing to my mouth with my fork and making animalistic noises that resembled either someone with their mouth too full to talk or a distressed hostage with tape over their mouth. Swallowing exaggeratedly, I sighed.

"Patience is a virtue" I quoted wisely, ignoring him rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'm looking around because I wanted to see what else was on offer for breakfast seeing as you went to the buffet for me without asking! What if I hadn't wanted eggs?"

"You always want eggs."

"Not today. Today I want, uhh… croissants." I respond childishly, catching a glimpse of someone with the unappealing breakfast on their plate. I study it more closely. "With jam. Or honey."

"Naomi Campbell, not once in the two years I've known you have you even mentioned croissants. In fact, I'm not sure you even got the pronunciation right."

"Fine, I'll get my own croissant" I huffed, pushing my plate of half finished egg towards him and smiling sarcastically before walking towards the canteen area. If I'm honest, I'd never even considered trying a croissant before, but the whole ordering for me without asking? Not appreciated.

Grabbing a new plate and joining the back of the short queue, I glanced around briefly once more, my gaze stopping on Freddie, who had retrieved a book from his bag and was leisurely sipping his coffee whilst reading it. I turned around again to see that it was my turn to pick.

"Umm, one croissant please. And a bit of, uh, jam. Please." I stuttered, hoping that jam wasn't the world's most unacceptable and revolting spread to have on a croissant ever. I felt myself longing for eggs.

"Didn't pin you as a croissant sort of girl" a familiar husky voice next to me stated, almost causing me to drop my newly acquired breakfast in shock.

"Oh yeah? What sort of girl did you think I was instead?" I respond with a grin, stepping aside slightly to allow the queue to move along before the croissant-server-dinner-lady-thing's glare burnt a hole in my face.

She looked thoughtful, pausing to choose the full English option before moving closer to me. To make room for the other people in the line, obviously. Not for any other reason.

"No idea. Just not croissants." She stated simply, and I internally cursed my stomach for the already present butterflies in my stomach fluttering wildly at the fact she knew something about me. "Too posh for someone who deems bare feet and skinnies appropriate attire for a cruise." She added with a wink.

"Very funny"

"I try."

And then we just… sort of looked at each other for a bit. I watched as her eyes swept down my body, just like they had done last night, this time with a different look in them that I just couldn't place. Wanted to be able to place. Her eyes lingered on certain areas before returning to mine, a faint blush on her cheeks. I made a mental note that it looked adorable, before scribbling out the mental note and instead noting the words 'straight' and 'boyfriend'.

"I see you took my advice and didn't jump?" she broke our temporary comfortable silence, picking up a slice of French bread from her plate and taking a small, delicate bite. Then licking her lips. Oh yeah, she'd asked a question.

"Well, it was more Leonardo DiCaprio's advice, but if you want to play the hero, that's cool" I teased. "I was fine. Like I said, just needed some fresh air."

She looked unconvinced, but dropped it, sensing my uncomfortable shifting. She nodded slowly and then her eyes lit up slightly, as though she suddenly had an idea of some sort.

"Are you eating alone?" she questioned, attempting to maintain the air of nonchalance she'd previously kept up so flawlessly, but instead allowing a tinge of hope and vulnerability to creep into her tone.

I swallowed slightly, wondering why I felt so guilty for telling this complete stranger that I was in a relationship and on this cruise with my boyfriend, who last night had actually proposed to me, hence my damsel in distress appearance on the deck.

"I'm not, actually. I'm here with my…" I debated lying, telling her he was my friend, or even my brother, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Why would she care anyway? "boyfriend." I finished, gesturing over to Freddie, who by now was making a tower out of my abandoned toast.

I watched her closely as she tried to mask her disappointment, but I distinctly saw the playful glint in her eye distinguish slightly, her hopeful expression turn blank, before she replaced it with a winning, albeit fake, smile.

"Right, yeah, of course. Anyway, I'm gonna sneak this food back to my cabin. Bye." She said almost monotonously, her previous flirtatious nature completely gone. I deflated slightly, my eyes on her back as she retreated again.

Hope welled up inside me as she stopped suddenly and turned to face me, walking a couple of steps closer so she wouldn't have to shout.

"Please bring my jacket to next meal time, just so I can have it back. Like I said, it's my favourite."

With that, she disappeared again, this time faster and more determinedly. I bit my lip and replayed the conversation in my head, vaguely annoyed by her hot and cold manner, before turning on my heel and walking back to the table to enjoy (perhaps) my croissant.

**I, personally, like croissants. In case you were wondering.**


	3. Where's my jacket?

**Sorry about the wait, updates won't always be as speedy as the last one, especially now revision is taking over! Thank you all for the good feedback! Quick warning, there are probably lots of mistakes as I am slightly tipsy after a night out bowling with work – I won a free drink for getting the lowest score! Not quite sure whether it's an achievement or not…**

**Disclaimer: I made a perfectly acceptable offer to Bryan Elsley, but no. Still own nothing.**

"This reminds me of when we first met"

Freddie's voice startled me slightly from my semi-conscious state. I used one hand to pull my sunglasses down my nose slightly and looked at him sideways over them.

"Freds, we met for the first time in a cheap café in Bristol, I was drinking crappy tea and the chair you sat on when you joined me had something unidentifiable stuck to it. How does me sunbathing in a bikini on a Caribbean cruise with a cocktail in any way remind you of that?" I questioned sarcastically.

He shook his head, his eyes glazed over as though returning to the moment, a smile tweaking at his lips. As I watched him fondly, my mind too returned to the first time we met.

_I cringed as I took my third sip of the dirty water masquerading as herbal tea and glanced towards the counter, considering asking for another. I considered the queue and changed my mind, instead returning to my book and leaning my chin on one hand, becoming engrossed._

"_Hi, uh, mind if I sit here?" A nervous voice interrupted me, and I tried my best to hide my annoyance._

_I glanced around the room, immediately noticing at least four other free tables, including one directly next to me. Taking my silence as a rejection, he stuttered out an unnecessary apology and backed away, seating himself a few tables away, his back to me._

_I smirked briefly, before forgetting the whole encounter and looking down at my book again, immediately immersing myself in the storyline. As I went to turn the page, a figure looming over the table stole my attention, and I averted my gaze upwards to find the same person as earlier._

"_Can I help you?" I sighed uninterestedly, quickly folding the corner of the page I was on and placing the book down. I expected a repeat performance of the earlier encounter, preparing an eye roll once the stuttering began. He scraped the chair back and took a seat._

"_I'll book a table. Tonight, 7pm, Glassboat restaurant. All you have to do is turn up looking beautiful, which shouldn't be hard, as you look amazing every time I see you around. If you're not there by 7.30pm I'll accept I've been stood up. See you there, I hope." And with that he stood up confidently (well, until he patted at his backside to discover the mysterious sticky muck from the chair) and walked out of the doors._

_I'd sat there for a good two minutes, shocked at his change in demeanour and his pure confidence. I looked around self-consciously to see if anyone else had witnessed the encounter, only to find them all occupied with their meals and crappy tea. _

_I went in the end, after much deliberation and the realisation that if I didn't go, I wouldn't be eating that night. I turned up at 7.20pm in the nicest dress I could find, and watched him shuffle and check his watch at least fifty times before I emerged from behind the bus stop and joined him at the doors._

_And that was that. One date turned into a few, which turned into him finding out my address and being absolutely shocked, if not disgusted, at my living arrangements. At the time, I was living in a derelict flat in a rough part of Bristol, and was spending what little spare cash I did have on booze and fags._

_He insisted that I stay at his as often as possible, and I eventually moved in. He persuaded me to quit my low-paid job as a retail assistant and found me work as a well-paid receptionist. _

_He waited patiently for me to open up about how I'd gone from being a straight A politics student with an acceptance letter to Goldsmith's University in London and a loyal group of friends to… a complete and utter mess. _

_In a way, Freddie McClair rescued me, built me a new life and supported me through everything, and I was eternally grateful for that._

_I just wish it had been the 'love-at-first-sight', pure unadulterated attraction and butterflies in my stomach that caused me to turn up at the restaurant that night, as opposed to a feeling of intrigue and a grumbling appetite…_

"…and as soon as you turned up at the restaurant, I knew you'd fallen for me, right babe?"

I shook myself from my daze, quickly agreeing with my boyfriend and forcing a smile onto my face. I had grown to love him, of course I had. It just wasn't the exhilarating, miraculous feeling that everyone makes it out to be. Though, when the fuck did Naomi Campbell believe in that sort of thing?

"Yeah, yeah, course. How does this remind you of the first time we met, though?" I inquire, hoping optimistically that he hadn't already covered that part when I'd been time travelling in my own mind.

"Well, you looked so at ease, relaxed. Like you had at the café. It's sort of what attracted me to you. And I felt like the nervous twat I had been those two years ago when I came over to speak to you. Good sign, though, I suppose, still getting that nervous feeling when I speak to you." He smiled genuinely, resting his hand on mine.

I resisted the urge to fake gag and call him a girl like the Naomi he first met would have, and instead squeezed his hand and returned to my sunbathing. Only to be nudged minutes later for lunch. My stomach rumbled in approval at the mention of food, and I immediately chucked on my T-shirt and shorts that were lying next to me, eager to get to the food area before Freddie so that I could choose my own lunch.

I'd just finished spooning the last of some salad onto my plate when I glanced up and saw her, eyebrow raised and a blank expression on her face. She hadn't bothered with clothes after sunbathing, instead wearing a white, barely there kaftan-style dress. My eyes randomly acquired minds of their own, roaming freely down her body, spending far too long admiring her tanned legs, before they realised that they were, in fact, attached to my (sometimes) rational brain, and snapped back to hers. Her expression was slightly softer now, partly amused and partly flattered. I shot her a quick smile, about to make my way over before I remembered our last hostile conversation. Where she had asked specifically for her jacket back. At the next mealtime. Which was now…

Shit.

I placed my tray on a random table and walked over to her, avoiding eye contact as much as possible, focussing only on the slap of my flip-flops on the tiled floor. When I eventually reached her, she folded her arms and looked at me expectantly, her fingertips tapping impatiently on her forearms. I smiled apprehensively.

"Emily, hi. I'm so sorry; I completely forgot to bring your jacket. I was sunbathing, and didn't think I'd need it, obviously, seeing as it's, uh, 38 degrees or something" I rambled, my mouth taking the power of my brain without permission this time whilst I remained helpless. "Why don't you come back to my cabin with me and I'll grab it for you?"

What? I caught up with my own words, wishing now that I'd never been taught to speak as a child. I'd have got into much less trouble as a mute.

Emily's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised at my offer (not as surprised as me, love) and she nodded, bemused.

"Okay." She agreed, her voice still lacking of the emotion from last night, but maintaining the delicious huskiness I'd imagined numerous times since last night. Wait, delicious huskiness? Jesus, I really was turning into a complete sap.

I cast a fleeting look around the room, hoping to catch Freddie's eye and signal that I'd be right back, but not all that disappointment when I didn't manage to spot him.

"Come on, it's this way", I said brightly, irrationally missing the light banter and easy conversation we'd managed the last two conversations.

We walked in silence until I couldn't stand it any more, and I spun round to face her.

"What did I do?" I asked, my voice demanding yet quiet.

"S-sorry?" she stuttered, shock and confusion evident in her tone.

I sighed. "You and I were talking, getting on fine, then you just turned on me as if I'd done something. So, in order to apologise, I need to know what it was. Do enlighten me."

A faint smile played at her lips in response to my sarcastic tone.

"Nothing. You did nothing. I'm sorry for the way I acted, I'd just had an argument with one of the crew members about something and took it out on you." She looked me straight in the eye, her tone convincing, her excuse valid. I accepted it without hesitation, mostly because I wanted it to be the reason. "Shall we go in?"

I opened the door to the cabin, scanning it quickly for any mess or underwear lying around and stood back to let her in.

"Nice, you got one of the posh ones. Loaded, I take it?"

I raised an eyebrow, more amused by her straightforward question than offended.

"Nah, had to give the captain a blowjob," I deadpanned, pretending to admire my nails. "Could have got free drinks for the whole holiday if I'd gone the whole way, I expect."

I relished in the loud, throaty laugh that came from the redhead beside me and joined in with her giggling.

"Funny. So, where's my jacket? Under your pillow, I expect?" She joked, pretending to scan the cabin suspiciously.

"Might be in the bathroom, I was using it to mop the floor" I responded immediately, my heart rate increasing at her chuckle. She turned to me, as though regarding me thoughtfully, opening her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind.

"Ah ha, there it is," she exclaimed, her eyes leaving mine to land on her jacket, which was hanging from the wardrobe door. She skipped towards it, and I watched amused as she jokingly embraced it. "I told you it was my favourite" she winked.

I nodded with a smirk, folding my arms and leaning back against the wall, and she did the same the other side of the room. And, just like before, we just sort of looked at each other for a bit. It was comfortable, and I found myself drowning in her brown orbs for a while, until she broke the contact and moved towards the door.

"Thanks for giving this back," she said cheerily after clearing her throat. She opened the door, but turned to face me again, her head tilted to one side. "Hopefully see you again, maybe later?"

I had to bite my lip to prevent a full-on grin from taking over my face, and a warm feeling erupted in my stomach.

"You can count on it," I responded confidently, returning her smile as she left and closed the door.

I shut my eyes and leaned my head back against the wall, pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers.

'_Great'_ I thought to myself, _'either the seasickness is getting to me, or the so-called imaginary pure unadulterated attraction and butterflies in the stomach does actually exist. With the wrong people.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if it's awful, it's late and I don't have ideas for this, I write what comes into my head. By the way, if anyone has been on a cruise and finds mistakes has pointers for me, do share, as I have nooooo idea! **

**I haven't checked this, so mistakes are inevitable... sorry, but my bed is asking for me, and to ignore that would be rude. And I don't like to be rude...**


	4. Ladies' Night

**Sorry about the gap between updates! I have my german oral on Tuesday, so have been speaking german as much as possible, which I don't think the majority of readers would appreciate. You can thank the royal wedding for this update, as I finally had a day off to update! Thanks for all the reviews/favourites/alerts/messages!**

**Disclaimer: I own a peppa pig easter egg. But not Skins.**

"Seriously, Nai, go without me! I won't mind," Freddie argued for the fourth time, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a towel and rinsing it in cold water for a couple of minutes before handing it to him, my eyebrow furrowed in concern.

"Don't be ridiculous. You've been throwing up since dinner, and this cruise is for both of us. Why would I go out and leave you here!" I protested, cringing as he turned back towards the toilet and continued to empty his stomach. I closed my eyes and hummed, eager to distract myself from the retching noises coming from my boyfriend. I rubbed his back sympathetically, a small part of me angry with him for not following my advice and skipping the third helping of pizza.

"Our first night was already spoiled by me and my stupid proposal, why should you suffer when I'm the only one that gets seasick? Honestly, there's a ladies' night at one of the bars. Go and have fun. That's supposed to be why we're here" He smiled weakly at me, flushing the toilet and dabbing at his face with the cloth. "Please?"

I sighed, already feeling guilty at the mention of the failed proposal and not wanting to upset him further. But I really didn't want to go. For one, whenever I went out in Bristol it would be on Freddie's arm, him introducing me to his friends and me trying hard to say the right things. I wasn't shy, as such, but I wasn't like the sort of people Freddie knew, and I could often feel them judging me for that.

"One drink." I reluctantly agreed, using the sink as leverage to pull myself up from my crouched position on the bathroom floor. "If it's shit, I'll come back here and we can go out when you're better, okay?"

* * *

><p>'<em>This is shit.' <em>

That was my first thought as I walked into the bar where 'Ladies' Night' was supposedly taking place. I didn't know why I'd agreed, from what I'd seen so far the cruise was mostly full of old retired couples splashing out on holidays or fake Barbie-style girls smeared in baby oil to further darken their tans.

I pulled at the hem of my dress, vaguely self-conscious of how short it was despite the fact that it was an acceptable length compared to what some of the girls here were wearing. I sighed and walked towards the bar, immediately ordering a round of shots for myself. If I was going to stay here, I didn't plan on remembering it.

"Hey there, babes, drinking all alone I see? Can't have that, can we?" a perky voice came from beside me. I glanced at her, debating whether to comment on her use of the term 'babes' the first time she had met me or simply smile politely and ignore her. She winked at me, her fake eyelashes only just clinging on, and turned towards the barmaid. "I'll have a round of whatever she's having, please, babes."

I raised my eyebrows at her forwardness, downing my second shot and looking around for somewhere else to sit. Upon finding nowhere, I decided that leaving would be next on the agenda if this tart didn't take a hint.

"So, sexy, fancy a dance? Or we could just skip that and head straight back to my cabin, if you like!" She attempted to flirt, leaning closer to me and placing her hand on my knee. I quickly downed another shot, shuffling further away from her.

"No thanks."

"Aw, come on!" She frowned, hand moving higher on my thigh, causing me to swivel slightly on my stool to escape her grip. "One dance, and then we'll see if you can resist."

"No thanks," I repeated a bit louder, careful not to cause a scene. A flash of red over her shoulder caught my eye, and I noticed Emily stood a few feet away, a questioning look in her eyes. I tried to convey my exasperation as much as possible in my expression, my eyes only leaving hers to gesture towards the annoying blonde who now had both hands on my legs. Emily's expression changed from curious to amused, as she sauntered towards us, her hips swaying. I took the opportunity to run my eyes over her body, taking in her short, black dress that clung perfectly to her body, unconsciously licking my lips.

"Hey, beautiful, there you are!" She greeted me, sliding her arm round my waist and planting a kiss on my cheek. My whole body tensed at the feel of her hands on me, my face warming at the sensation of her lips. I released a shaky breath.

"Hey, I was waiting for you!" I played along, leaning into her slightly. To play along, obviously. This had to be realistic. Her grip tightened on my waist slightly as her gaze landed on the rather uncomfortable looking girl in front of us.

"Who's this?" Emily questioned, her voice oozing distain. I wondered whether it was all an act.

"Oh, sorry babes. I didn't realise you were with anyone, should've said!" The blonde babbled, her hands immediately leaving my legs and collecting the glasses in front of her. She stood up, turning to leave, before stopping herself and facing us once more with a seductive smile. "Unless you were, like, both up for it?"

I caught myself before I scoffed, my eyes flicking to Emily's face, as though signalling for her to respond. She bit back a smile, her eyes shining with mischief.

"Sorry, _babes_," she began exaggeratedly, now sliding herself onto my lap, her slender arms wrapping round my neck. I automatically placed my shaking hands on her hips, my heartbeat racing and my whole body reacting to her close proximity. "But I really don't think we need anyone else, if you know what I mean."

The girl smirked slightly and nodded, quickly excusing herself and walking towards another lone girl to try her luck.

I was suddenly very self-conscious of the redhead perched on my lap, and the fact that we both had yet to loosen our grip on each other. She started to make patterns on my shoulder with her fingertips, goosebumps appearing immediately wherever she touched.

"So… she seemed nice," I stated sarcastically, causing Emily to snort and tighten her grip once more before releasing me completely and standing up.

"Yeah, real charmer," she joked, and I noticed her eyes were a darker shade of brown, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Almost wish we'd taken her up on her offer now!"

"There's still time."

"I'm not so sure, looks like she has her hands full."

I looked around and spotted her practically fucking another scarcely clothed girl on the dance floor.

"Oh dear, missed our chance," I deadpanned.

"You're right there, _babes_," she agreed, trying not to laugh and failing. We both chuckled for a bit, shaking our heads at the situation. I wondered internally whether she had felt the connection as strongly as I had when she'd been so close to me, before quickly erasing the idea from my head. Our laughter died down and I watched as she ordered us both a drink, briefly speculating why it didn't annoy me like when Freddie had.

We both sat in comfortable silence, sipping at our cocktails and occasionally glancing at each other before blushing and turning away.

"Thanks for, you know, rescuing me before. You didn't have to," I smiled, touching her shoulder. My eyes widened at my overly friendly actions and I quickly retracted my hand. If she noticed my panic, she didn't show it, simply dismissing my gratitude with a wave of her hand.

"You're very welcome. Plus, it was worth it to see the look on her face. You're very good at acting," she responded, her eyebrow raised as she stared at me intensely. I attempted to maintain eye contact, but instead looked into my drink uncomfortably. I almost missed her next question. "No boyfriend?"

I took a sip of my drink before answering, giving myself time to process the fact that this was the first time I'd thought of Freddie since Emily had come over. A feeling of guilt made my stomach clench as I remembered his ill state when I left.

"Nah, he wasn't feeling well. Seasick." I explained, and she pulled a sympathetic face. I wasn't convinced that it was genuine. "Plus, would be a bit awkward if he was here, Emily… it's ladies' night, remember?"

She snorted. "That isn't what I meant! I was just wondering why you weren't out somewhere with him, or at least looking after him at the cabin."

I frowned at her last comment, her tone seemed both curious and bitter, and I was offended at the implication that I'd left him alone by choice.

"He paid for the trip and wanted me to have a good time," I said shortly, indignant. "I only came for a couple of drinks anyway, I'm going back to check on him now."

Emily's face fell in disappointment, her hand immediately resting on my arm, surprising both of us.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Naomi. I was just saying. Besides, you're here now! Stay for a few more drinks, maybe a dance?"

I looked at her properly, regarding her hopeful eyes and slight smile. _Jesus, she was beautiful._

"One more drink. And you can forget the dancing! You can go dance, though, if you like. I won't stop you." I gave in, delighting in the way her face lit up. She kept her hand on my arm just a moment longer, stroking it as she pulled it away. I shivered.

"No, thanks. I'm fine here, with you." She responded, winking at me before signalling to the barmaid for another drink.

As she looked away, I let my eyes drop to her cleavage, before travelling further down and taking in her smooth, slightly tanned legs.

'_Fuck it'_, I thought, '_one dance can't hurt, can it?'_

**You'll have to wait and see...**


	5. You're beautiful

**Due to all of the kind reviews and alerts, I decided to substitute my german revision for this. So, when I fail my oral tomorrow morning, it's on you...all of you...**

**Kidding, I've only myself to blame. Meh well, who speaks german these days anyway?**

**Disclaimer: Still working on it, guys. But for the moment, no. I own nothing.**

So, I was drunk. Monumentally fucked, if you like.

You know the type of drunk I mean. The type of drunk where you've stopped denying your level of intoxication, instead enthusiastically admitting that you're off your face and ordering another drink. The type of drunk where you're sat on the toilet and, whilst pondering seriously, realise that you have finally figured out the meaning of life and everything in it, and you make a mental note not to forget it (like you did the last few times). The type of drunk where you remain indifferent to the increasingly suspicious moans erupting from the cubicle adjacent to yours, humming contentedly to yourself as you rinse your hands and return to the dance floor.

Anyway, I was that type of drunk. I knew that, because otherwise I wouldn't have been doing what I was doing. It was not something Naomi Campbell does…has ever done, for that matter.

"For someone who didn't want to dance, you're doing a pretty good job," a voice slurred slightly into my ear, causing my hands to tighten on her hips and pull her into me closer. I smiled, my eyes closed and my body swaying in time with hers. The pleasant warmth in my stomach intensified the closer we were.

"As you can see, Emily, I am drunk. Times a hundred, or a thousand, or something," I paused, biting my lip in contemplation. What came after a thousand again? "Anyway, this was not a conscious decision, is what I'm trying to say."

Emily chuckled and her hands moved from where they had been in the air down to my hands, twirling herself round to face me. She pulled my arms around her waist, resting her own on my shoulders as her mouth hovered right next to my ear.

"Oh…so you're not enjoying yourself then?"

I tried to suppress a shiver, failing miserably and releasing a shaky breath against her ear. I didn't feel so embarrassed when I felt her own body shudder slightly in my arms.

"It's alright, I suppose," I teased, my tone nonchalant and light. I pulled back slightly to grin at her before looking over her shoulder. That was when I noticed the jealous and lustful gazes of a number of other girls fixed on us, and a feeling of self-consciousness invaded me. "Looks like our audience are enjoying themselves more, though."

Without opening her eyes, Emily turned again in my arms, her back flush against my front. She wrapped her arms around my neck, stroking it lightly and causing the hairs to stand on end and goosebumps to appear.

"Let's give them something to watch, then."

With that, she began grinding more purposefully than before, leaning forward occasionally to press her backside into my crotch. I bit my lip to suppress a moan, embarrassed at how aroused I was becoming. Noticing my hesitation, she grasped my hands and ran them down her torso, leaving them to rest at the top of her thighs, before her hands returned to my neck. I continued dancing, constantly reminding myself of the fact we were just friends. We were doing this as a joke, to work up our little audience. Plus, we were both pretty drunk. The whole thing was entirely innocent.

By the time the song ended I had forgotten all about those watching, and felt completely at ease, which was a feeling I wasn't used to in the past few years. It felt fucking brilliant.

Emily turned to face me, standing close, her fingers linking together on my lower back. She looked straight into my eyes, and the intense gaze made me want to look away. I didn't.

"I think it worked," she whispered, breaking eye contact to briefly gesture around us. I was momentarily confused, before I realised that she was referring to the deterred expressions of the previously eager girls scattered around the dance floor. I quickly brushed away the disappointment that I was right. That it was just a show for the rest of the girls, nothing to do with the fact she _wanted_ to dance with me like that.

"You're right there, Miss…" I stopped suddenly, the realisation hitting me like a ton of bricks. I didn't know her surname. I had just danced seductively with a woman I barely knew on a cruise holiday bought for me by my currently seasick boyfriend, and I knew nothing about her. I suddenly felt very claustrophobic and warm, the loud music making my head pound. I had to get out of there.

I stepped back from Emily, causing her hands to drop from my waist and hang by her sides. Ignoring her confused expression, I glanced at her apologetically, hoping that I was successfully conveying my urge to be alone as I turned on my heel and walked towards the exit, gasping for air as I finally reached the deck.

Apparently not, I realised, as the clicking of heels sounded behind me. Not bothering to look behind me, I leaned on the railings closed my eyes, the rocking momentum of the ship finally starting to relax me.

"Cigarette?" Emily's husky voice questioned cautiously. I opened my eyes to see one already lit, being held out for me to take. I threw her a grateful smile and accepted, taking a long drag.

We stood in silence for a while, smoking and watching the waves of the sea. I looked up at the sky, entranced by the magnificent view of the stars above me. I realised it was probably getting late, and pushed myself off of the railings to stand upright.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten just how drunk I still was, and almost toppled back, until two secure hands steadied me, one on my arm and the other sliding around my waist.

"Careful." She didn't move her arm.

"Thanks." Neither did I.

"It's Fitch, by the way. My surname, that is." Emily started hesitantly, her previous confidence having dissipated since my abrupt departure. We let go of each other, but remained close.

"Campbell." I supplied, prepared for the stifled sniggering, pleasantly surprised when it didn't come.

"Bet that was a bitch to admit to in assemblies."

"Yeah, worse with police officers, they really think you're giving a fake na-" I stopped suddenly, aware of the selection of questions that could follow a statement like that, internally cursing myself for my inability to use yes/no answers.

"I can imagine," she replied casually, frowning slightly as she noticed my incessant shivering. "I don't have my jacket this time, I'm afraid. Just as well, really, as I doubt I'd get it back from you, thieving bitch."

Her sarcastic words were long forgotten as she stepped impossibly closer to me and started rubbing her hands up and down my arms in an attempt to keep me warm.

"Like I'd want your jacket! You're tiny, the sleeves barely covered my elbows," I teased, delighting in her husky laugh.

"Fuck off, we'd be the same height if you took off your heels!" she argued, playfully swatting my arm.

"I'm surprised you got served actually, do they have stepladders to help you reach the stools at the bar?" I continued, both of us laughing heartily now.

"You're so annoying," she grinned.

"You're beautiful," my mouth blurted out in response, having decided to abandon all cooperation with my brain. Emily's eyes widened slightly, a faint blush covering her cheeks.

She looked at me cynically, challengingly. Waiting for me to backtrack, admit that my spontaneous compliment was a result of my drunkenness. I wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

I reached my hand up to her face, lightly stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into my touch, the hands on my forearms stopping their movements and gripping them instead. She opened her eyes, which were now a distinctly darker shade of brown, and looked straight into mine.

And suddenly, everything in my mind dissolved into nothingness as I realised what I was about to do, regardless of the consequences. I was going to kiss Emily.

I leant in, glancing between her eyes and lips, trying to gauge her reaction to my advances. Finally closing my eyes, I went to close the distance, only to find that it was bigger than I had anticipated.

"Naomi, no." Emily let go of me, stepping back from the embrace and folding her arms across her chest. She avoided eye contact, her expression frustrated. I wondered whether it was with me or herself.

"Sorry, I just-"

"It's fine, you're drunk," she interrupted, plastering a false smile on her face that looked more like a grimace to me.

'_And straight. And in a relationship_' I added internally.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your cabin," Emily said, moving to link arms for support.

I moved out of her reach, cursing myself for the hurt expression on her face. The embarrassment of the situation had finally caught up with me, and I was mortified at my actions. What had I been thinking? I hadn't that was the thing. Stupid, careless Naomi, back to her old ways, thinking only of herself no matter who gets hurt.

"No, it's okay, I'd rather walk alone. Sorry about, uh, me being, uh. Just sorry." I winced at my own failed apology. Could I do anything right? I contemplated just walking away quickly, leaving her standing there, but instead took a step towards her and faced her again. "Thanks for tonight, Emily. I had a really good time."

She smiled weakly at me and I walked away, concentrating only on keeping in a straight line, casting any other regrets and thoughts of the night aside.

* * *

><p>"Hey, babe, you were gone ages! One drink, my ass." Freddie greeted me from the bed, resting his book on the bedside table.<p>

"Yeah, well."

"Take it Ladies' Night was a success! Why were you so long, too many women trying it on with you?" he teased, oblivious to my shocked and guilty expression. "Bet you were fighting them off."

"Fuck off, Freddie! I'm straight, for fuck's sake! Hence why I'm here with you, Jesus. It was you that made me go in the first place." I spat angrily, quickly changing into nightwear and moving towards the bathroom, ignoring Freddie's surprised and bewildered expression, not giving him the chance to defend himself.

I closed the bathroom door, leaning on the sink with my head in my hands. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognising myself.

What the fuck was going on with me? I had never been attracted to girls before. Admired them, sure, but not like this. The worst part was, it wasn't just physical attraction. Every time Emily had touched me, it felt like my skin was burning, like I was waking up for the first time. I shook the ridiculous thoughts away, splashing my face with cold water.

Why a cruise? Why not a lovely villa in Spain? Or better yet, an expensive hotel in New York. Big, busy New York, with thousands of places to hide, thousands of people to merge in with.

'_Come on Naomi, two more weeks,' _I thought to myself, _'and you'll never have to see her again.'_

Unfortunately, this thought didn't give me the reassurance I was hoping for, but instead filled me with a horrible feeling of trepidation. Never see Emily again…is that really what I wanted?

**:)**


	6. Realisation

**Sooo...uhh...remember me? No? I don't blame you. Sorry about the wait, but I have had an AS exam every day for the past two weeks, and on some days two, but had my last one this morning! Yay :) Updates should be much more frequent because of this, but I won't promise anything, because I can't be sure what will come up! Hope you like this chapter, I'm not sure personally.**

**Disclaimer: I own skin. But not Skins :(**

* * *

><p>Realisation.<p>

It's a weird feeling, really. It can come in lots of different forms with lots of different emotions trailing behind it.

There's the good realisation. The one where you wake up and see the time is 7.30am, and are about to panic that you're late, before you realise that it's Saturday. Relief.

There's the bad realisation. The one where you're already on the train to work and realise you've forgotten the important files you were supposed to bring, and you just know you're going to get a bollocking for it. Dread.

And then there's the realisation that I was feeling as I stood, hidden from view, and watched my long-term, stupidly-committed-to-me boyfriend flirt with a skinny, mysterious brunette in a bikini.

The realisation that I wasn't jealous.

The realisation that I _should _have been jealous.

The realisation that maybe I didn't love him as much as I thought I did.

Not for the first time on the holiday, I just wished to be back home in shitty old Bristol, where things were normal and boring and the same. I internally scolded myself, not one to take things for granted, particularly expensive exotic cruises, and decided to try to forget about the fuckload of confusion I was carrying around with me and just try to enjoy myself.

I walked over to where Freddie was leaning in what he hoped was a nonchalant, perhaps seductive pose (but instead looked more awkward and forced), and was prepared for the girl to disappear instantly. I hadn't expected her to keep eye contact with me the whole time I was making my way over to them whilst maintaining a conversation with Freddie. I cursed myself for feeling nervous under her stare.

"Naomi!" Freddie greeted me, his tone surprised and his eyes flashing with guilt. I raised an eyebrow in greeting, nodding towards the brunette to prompt an introduction. "Oh, yeah. This is Effy; we just got talking whilst I waited for you. Effy, this is Naomi, my girlfriend."

"Pleased to meet you," she said. She wasn't.

"Pleasure's mine." As if.

Freddie glanced between the two of us awkwardly, noticing the obvious tension between the two of us. To be honest, I was just pissed off that she was so confident and relaxed throughout the whole situation rather than at the actual flirting.

"Effy was just telling me about the girl she's here with. Emily, was it?" Freddie tried, hoping to ease the tension with idle conversation. Except this conversation was anything but idle. My stomach dropped and my eyes widened at the mention of the name, and Effy noticed immediately. The subtlest of smirks appeared on her face.

"Yep."

I clenched my hands into fists, desperately fighting the urge to bombard the girl with my questions. Was the Emily she was here with my Emily? No, not _my _Emily. Just the Emily I happened to run into a few times. And dream about last night. Just her. Was Emily her girlfriend? Why had I not seen them together so far?

"Where is she now, then?" Freddie questioned, shooting me a weird look. I must have been a bit shit at hiding my emotions, so I quickly smiled reassuringly and looked at Effy, feigning nonchalance as I eagerly awaited her reply.

"Dunno," she shrugged, and I almost slapped her there and then. "We came together but we do our own thing."

Grateful for her elaboration, I nodded in response and tuned out as Freddie continued to ask her boring questions and receive similar monotonous replies.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to grab a drink and head back to the cabin for a bit. Think the sea sickness is finally getting to me," I joked feebly, anxious to go for a walk to clear my head.

"If you're sure, babe. I'm going to hang out here for a bit." _Obviously._ "Hope you feel better." He kissed my cheek as I forced a smile and walked away.

I had just ordered a drink at the outdoor bar when I felt a presence beside me. Effy.

"She's in the cabin 568. In case you were wondering." She sent me a genuine smile, pointing in the general direction of the room. "Oh, and Freddie thinks I'm asking you where your dress is from. I'm not just making weird gestures for the hell of it."

I remained silent for a few moments, shock evident in my expression. What had Emily told her? Were we even talking about the same Emily? I settled on a different question altogether.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Heard enough about you. 'Naomi, beautiful peroxide blonde, stunning blue eyes, looks a bit pissed off'" she quoted with her fingers. "Oh, and scruffy looking boyfriend. That, and your expression at the mention of her name."

I struggled to keep up with the conversation, my head spinning at the discovery of Emily's opinion of me and the fact that Effy assumed something was going on. I attempted to formulate an answer in my head, contemplating complete denial at knowing Emily or feigning disinterest. She beat me to it.

"Don't worry about it. It's just… she'd probably appreciate the company. Yours, that is." She sighed, pushing away from the counter and turning to walk away. I squeezed my eyes closed and made a quick decision.

"568, was it?" I blurted out.

She turned to face me again, her smirk far less subtle than before.

"That's the one. See you." With that, she sloped off towards Freddie, who had adopted his 'cool' pose again and didn't even send me a second glance. It felt weird, but I wasn't sure if it was jealousy. Discomfort, perhaps, at the lack of attention from him. Anyway, I had other things to worry about.

* * *

><p>I stood outside the cabin, twisting one of my rings nervously, contemplating whether or not to turn and go back to my own cabin. I needed to sort out in my head what my feelings towards this girl were. I wasn't naïve; I knew they weren't entirely platonic, the incessant butterflies in my stomach and excitement I felt when I was with her was a big enough giveaway. But was it simply an innocent crush that everyone develops at some point or other and does nothing about, and then never sees the person again? Or was it something more?<p>

I was pulled from my thoughts by the door in front of me swinging open to reveal a surprised and slightly confused Emily.

"Naomi? What are you doing here?" she questioned, having recovered from the shock at some weird blonde woman hanging around outside her door.

"Selling cookies," I responded.

"I see, I'll take ten batches," She replied easily, then stood back and held the door open. "Come in if you like, I was going to head out to see where my friend was, but I didn't expect a girl scout, so…"

I hesitated momentarily, before nodding with a slight smile and entering the room.

* * *

><p>"I just can't imagine you as a teacher!" I slurred, taking another swig of the bottle of vodka that Emily had somehow acquired. "You're just…not teachery, really."<p>

"I'm 'teachery' enough to know that you'd need a bit of extra help, using adjectives like that!" She laughed, taking the bottle from my hand. I ignored the sparks I felt at the stroke of her fingers on my hand. "It's because I have red hair, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and you're too much fun to be a teacher. Teachers leave school and choose to return and spend most of their life there! I just don't get it!" I teased, pulling my knees towards my chest and leaning my back against the wall. Emily was lying on her front and facing me, and it took all of my being to avoid staring at her cleavage.

"I'm not a teacher yet, anyway. It's just my main option after Uni. Besides, you haven't told me what you're studying yet?" She inquired, handing me the bottle, oblivious to my immediate change in demeanour.

"Oh, I'm uh…not. University didn't seem like my thing, to be honest," I lied, my tone nonchalant. If Emily noticed my avoidance of eye contact, she didn't mention it. "Being a receptionist, however…wow, that really is the fulfilling job I always dreamed of as a child!"

Emily burst out laughing at my sarcastic comment, closing her eyes and leaning her head on her hand as she snorted occasionally. I took the opportunity to glance at her cleavage, before catching myself and looking away immediately. She eventually stopped chuckling and sat up, moving to sit by me and lean against the wall, her legs out straight. I straightened mine so that we were in the same position, our hands flat on the floor between us.

"It isn't too late to go to University now, you know," she broke the silence, her voice soft and hesitant. A warm feeling was created in my chest at how well she already seemed to know me, and my heart thudded a little bit faster.

When I didn't respond after a minute or so, I felt the light tickle of Emily's pinkie finger on mine, and immediately tensed. Thoughts of Freddie entered my mind, and I very almost pulled my hand away, before I remembered where he was and who he was with. I closed my eyes and allowed her to continue for a while, before turning my hand over and slipping my fingers through hers. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of her breath hitching as she tightened the grip.

Unbeknown to one another, we both sat with slight smiles on our faces, content for the first time in years.

Realisation is a weird feeling.

Particularly when it's the realisation that you maybe…just _maybe_…are falling for someone.

**Took her long enough to realise, jeez...**


	7. Giving in

**I was faster! Woo! Well, I'm excited anyway... Thank you all, as usual, for the reviews and alerts, I am eternally grateful. ****A particular thank you to Partylikeits1999. Receiving a review from you is like getting a high-five from the Queen! If you guys haven't read Somewhere He Opens a Window, you should!**

**Also, I'm feeling totally lonely on here, I literally know nobody and have noone to throw ideas around with! Anyone wanna be fanfic friends? (I couldn't have sounded nerdier if I tried). Anyway, enjoy...**

"Come on, Nai, seriously?" Freddie whined, and his childish tone simply added to my reluctance to give in. I sighed and shuffled further away from him, not even bothering to offer a reply. "We haven't slept together once on this cruise, isn't that what couples are supposed to do on these romantic getaways?"

"Probably," I yawned, pulling the blanket tighter around me and ignoring Freddie's groan of frustration. I felt his hand leave where it had been resting on my side as he turned over and finally abandoned his attempts to seduce me.

In all honesty, I did feel guilty. This cruise was supposed to be for us to get away as a couple (and for him to propose, but we mostly ignore that little blip) and reconnect after the amount of work we'd both had recently. Instead, I had spent the entire evening drinking vodka on the floor of Emily's cabin, talking about pointless crap and learning odd facts about her that, even in my intoxicated state, were ingrained in my memory. Freddie was waiting for me when I finally arrived back at the cabin, but immediately accepted that I had 'run into someone I met the other night', which was admittedly a slight exaggeration of the truth. Not that there was anything to hide. Emily and I had simply spoken, and held hands as friends do. Because that's all we were. Friends. Which didn't account for the feeling of betrayal I experienced when Freddie had allowed his hands to roam when we were in bed. I had brushed off his attempts, providing my normal excuse of exhaustion, and that's where the whining began…

I was finally drifting off to sleep when Freddie's voice pulled me from my groggy state.

"By the way, babe, I told Effy we'd meet her and her mate for drinks and maybe a quick swim or something tomorrow," he said tiredly, having apparently forgiven me for my lack of intimacy with him.

Upon hearing this, my eyes sprang open and I was immediately wide-awake. Shit. Firstly, I hadn't told Freddie that the girl I had run into and spent the afternoon with was Effy's friend, Emily. Secondly, I had no idea how I was supposed to act in the company of both Emily _and_ Freddie. And last but not least, how the fuck was I supposed to cope with Emily in a bikini?

I briefly debated arguing, saying that I'd rather spend the holiday with Freddie alone. But even with the bubbling of apprehension and nerves in my stomach, the thought of spending time with Emily for the entire afternoon was, quite frankly, very appealing.

* * *

><p>The sun was at its highest point in the sky, and there was literally no shade on the cruise ship apart from the parasols above particular tables. I scanned the area, hoping to spot one and grab it, before a glimpse of red caught my eye. Emily. Her and Effy were sat at one of the shaded tables, both already dressed in bikinis and seemingly deep in conversation. I decided to go ahead with the plan I had earlier formulated, and quickly grabbed Freddie's hand.<p>

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, pulling him behind a group of people and out of the view of Emily and Effy. Here's where my GCSE drama skills were finally about to come in handy. "So _that's _the Emily that she was talking about. What a coincidence!"

Freddie's bemused look didn't deter me, and I plastered an amused and surprised expression on my face. I almost went too far, and a flash of me with a crappy Texan accent quoting 'Well I'll be damned!' flashed in my mind.

"What are you on about, Nai?"

"The girl I ran into yesterday and spent the afternoon with…that's Emily! Effy's friend! Wow, that's such a coincidence!" I rambled, wondering when my mouth was going to stop, because I was pretty sure Freddie was about to become suspicious. I mean, I'm hardly the most enthusiastic of people…

"Ha, that is pretty weird. Well, at least we'll all know each other then. Shall we?" He gestured towards them, holding out his hand for me to take again. I glanced at it before shaking my head and fanning myself with my own hands.

"Far too hot for holding hands, Freds!" I supplied, before avoiding his eyes and walking towards the table. Effy was staring at me, a weird smile on her face, whilst Emily's eyes were hungrily roaming my body. I slowed self-consciously, allowing Freddie to catch up with me.

We all greeted each other politely, me immediately blurting out how random and coincidental it was that Emily and I had already met, constantly throwing her grateful glances as she happily played along.

I went to sit down, before noticing that Emily and Effy were positioned opposite each other, a vacant chair next to both of them. I hung behind, hardly surprised when Freddie threw himself into the chair adjacent to Effy's, before hesitantly seating myself next to Emily. She smiled at me genuinely, and my nerves dissipated and were instead replaced by the warm feeling I was becoming used to experiencing whenever in Emily's presence.

"Have you guys eaten?" Effy questioned, glancing around in the hope to grab the attention of one of the cruise staff. I purposely ignored the fact that Freddie's gaze was on her exposed stomach, and instead shook my head in response. She eventually managed to find someone, and we all placed our orders and began to chat amiably.

* * *

><p>"And then Katie just punched her in the nose!" Effy finished, and Emily snorted with laughter, almost spitting out her cocktail.<p>

"Wait, who's Katie?" I questioned, looking at Emily and noticing that her cheeks were a little pink. I wondered whether it was from the sun or the fact that she was on her fourth drink of the afternoon. I, myself, was feeling very tipsy.

Emily had just opened her mouth to respond, when Effy answered for her.

"Katie's her twin. Didn't she tell you?" she inquired, and I was sure I detected an odd tinge to her voice. I couldn't quite figure out whether it was malicious or not, but I didn't see any reason for it to be.

"We've only met a couple of times, it's hard to cover everything," Emily responded immediately, and I smiled at her gratefully. We must have been looking at each other for a while, because I heard Emily yelp and break the staring contest to glare at Effy, who I suspect had just kicked her under the table.

"So, Effy, tell us more about your job back home!" Freddie said eagerly, turning in his chair to face the brunette, who looked slightly surprised at my boyfriend's interest in her career. I sighed internally, hoping that my drama skills covered facial expressions such as 'looking interested in hearing about people you actually couldn't give two shits about'.

I tested out numerous expressions as she began to talk, ranging from furrowed brows, exaggerated nods and even throwing in a hum of interest every now and then. However, my incredible acting began to fade as I felt Emily's eyes burning a hole in the side of my face, and noticed out of the corner of my eye how close we were compared to when I had first sat down.

After a couple of minutes of pretending not to notice Emily's staring, I gave in and met her gaze. I almost gasped as I took in her dilated pupils, flushed expression and the way that her eyes were flicking between mine and my lips. I gulped and returned my gaze to Freddie, ensuring that he was still completely absorbed in what the new object of his affections was droning on about, before staring into my drink, unsure of where to look.

My breath hitched again when I felt it. The feather light touch of a fingertip making small circles on my bare knee under the table. I tensed immediately, turning to Emily and shooting her a warning glance, surprised to see her feigning innocence and nodding eagerly at what Effy was saying. I really fucking hoped she wasn't asking questions after, for all I know she could be a butcher.

Ignoring Emily's actions, I took a gulp of my drink, choking when her whole hand joined in and made patterns slightly higher on my leg. I coughed quickly, causing Emily to remove her hand from my thigh and pat me lightly on my back, leaving it to rest there even after I had finished coughing up my guts.

Everywhere she was touching me was burning, and it had nothing to do with the 40-degree heat. I needed to get away, and quick, before I did something I regretted.

"Alright, Nai? Mind you don't drink too fast!" Freddie said, his voice concerned. I almost scoffed at his sudden interest in my well-being after he'd ignored me the entire time we'd been sat here.

"I'm fine, thanks. Actually, I'm a bit hot, might go for a swim now." I responded, my voice slightly scratchy from coughing. I stood up and pushed my chair under the table, removing my t-shirt and shorts to reveal a bright blue bikini, and folding my clothes on the chair.

Studiously avoiding Emily's lustful gaze, I noticed Freddie's hesitance and quickly spoke before he had the chance.

"You don't have to come with me, it's fine. I can see you're busy," I sighed, grabbing my beach towel and making my way towards the pool that was round the corner and out of sight of the table.

I stood at the edge of the pool, gripping the metal bars of the steps, prepared to lower myself into the cool waters, before I heard a familiar voice close behind me.

"Naomi…"

I closed my eyes for a brief second before I made my decision.

I spun round, grabbing Emily by the hand and pulling her to me roughly.

"Fucks sake." I whispered, before crashing our lips together, ignoring her weak protest, which quickly turned into a moan as she let her hands rest on my bare waist. "Jesus."

I was sure that the fact I was tipsy was enhancing the incredible feelings that I was experiencing, because never in my life had I felt so turned on by a simple kiss. Only it wasn't a simple kiss, of course. It was with Emily.

We kissed for a few seconds, before my brain caught up with my mouth for what felt like the millionth time on this holiday, and I pushed her away from me suddenly. She reached out to me, her expression both shocked, aroused and slightly hurt, but I knew that I couldn't have this conversation now. Especially not with my boyfriend situated just around the corner, the possibility of him popping round to see if I was alright too high to risk.

Stepping out of her reach, I shook my head apologetically, turned around and dived into the pool, remaining underwater for as long as was physically possible with the lungs of a smoker.

When I finally resurfaced, she was gone.

**Don't worry, I'm not a huge fan of angst...**


	8. Safe Option

**Hope everyone had a good weekend, and thank you all so much for the reviews, I genuinely didn't expect such a positive response to this story. Also, I found this chapter really difficult to write, mostly because I don't plan my chapters, so apologies if it's not up to standards! **

"Fucks sake," I mumbled as I opened the bottom drawer of my bedside table and reached for the bottle, flicking open the lid. "I burn so easily I may as well have been born ginger, fucking sensitive, pale skin."

I quietly ranted for a few more seconds, smearing after-sun onto my arms and shoulders, before the door opened and Freddie walked in, a small smile on his face.

"Alright, Nai? You didn't swim for long, I came looking for you after a couple of minutes but both you and Emily had disappeared!" He said quietly, a hint of question in his voice. I paused, briefly halting my actions at the mention of Emily's name, before shaking my head and applying more lotion to my shoulders. My stomach churned at the thought of him looking for me just a few minutes earlier, and I had a feeling that the reason that didn't happen was all down to the mysterious Effy.

"It was a bit too hot for me, you know what I'm like when it comes to getting burnt," I responded, hoping to keep my tone light, but the feeling of guilt in my stomach was making that all the more difficult.

"Here, let me." Freddie said softly, moving to sit behind me on the bed and applying a generous amount of after-sun lotion to his hands before rubbing it into my back.

I welcomed the coolness, relaxing as his strong hands finished applying the cream and continued to massage my shoulders; his legs positioned either side of mine. He buried his face in my hair and took a deep breath, then hummed gently as he continued to rid of the knots in my upper back. I closed my eyes as a stray tear ran down my cheek.

"We're okay, aren't we, Naomi?" he whispered, pausing his movements and resting his hands on my shoulders. I screwed my eyes shut tighter to prevent more tears from falling, and released a shaky breath. He was giving me the opportunity to tell him, to open up about how I'd been feeling. He'd asked the loaded question that could end our relationship depending on the answer. All I had to do was tell him the truth. Tell him that we weren't okay, that I didn't love him, and that maybe he didn't love me.

Instead I nodded.

"Yeah," I whispered back, my voice dripping with emotion, "we're fine."

* * *

><p>I sat back in my chair, sipping my wine and pretending to be engrossed in the game of pool Freddie was playing with some other men to whom I had yet to be introduced. Not that I particularly wanted to be. I was happy to sit on my own and occasionally gesture a brief thumbs-up when Freddie looked extra smug, assuming that it meant he was winning.<p>

Having almost finished my glass of wine, I glanced up at the bar to see how busy it was and whether there was actually a chance of being served in the next ten minutes. I attempted to distinguish between those who had already been served and those who were simply stood at the bar, when I noticed her. She was whispering in a muscular man's ear, her hands on his shoulders, his hands on her waist. Things looked pretty heated.

"That's Effy for you," Emily said as she confidently took the seat opposite me, placing her glass of red wine on the table between us and gesturing with her thumb towards Effy and Mr Muscle. "Bet you a tenner she doesn't even know his name."

I sighed, slightly annoyed at the fact that my evening probably wouldn't run as smoothly as I had been due to Emily's arrival, and also because I didn't think I was prepared to discuss what had happened earlier at the pool. Emily noticed my sigh and her smile disappeared, her expression now darkening.

"No, you don't get to be like this," she started, her tone angry yet even. Her back was to Freddie, and I glanced over her shoulder to see if he was looking, but instead his jealous eyes were fixed on Effy. I returned my attention to the unhappy redhead in front of me.

"I don't know what you mean-" I started, before Emily shook her head, signalling for me to let her speak.

"I don't chase people, Naomi. I don't wait around, I'm not there _just in case_, and I gave up on straight girls a long time ago. Especially straight girls with boyfriends, for fuck's sake." Emily paused mid-rant to lick her lips, and it took a lot of effort to drag my eyes back to hers. She looked annoyed and slightly flustered, and at that moment was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. "I shouldn't have teased you when we were sat at the table, but what you did was low. You can't just kiss me then fuck off and expect me to be okay with it! If you're so happy in your little relationship, then that's fine, we can just be friends, or nothing. But for that to happen, you really have to stop looking at me like that…"

Her last sentence snapped me out of it, as I realised my eyes were focused on her mouth, and that I was biting my lip in what could have appeared to be a lustful manner. In other words, I looked like a bit of a perve. Great.

I knew that everything Emily had said was fair, and that there was no excuse for my actions, especially seeing as I was in a relationship. (Or 'little relationship', as Emily had so strangely phrased it. How can a relationship be little? Anyway, off-topic…)

I must have been thinking about what she said for a while, because she rolled her eyes and pushed her chair back to leave. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to her seat.

"I'm sorry," I started, maintaining my grip on her hand. She sat back properly in her chair, her eyes signalling for me to continue. "I acted like a complete and utter twat today, and the other night, and I'm sorry for putting you in these positions all the time. And I'm sure that this is really selfish, but could we not be 'nothing'? Because I really do enjoy spending time with you, you're the only person I really get on with on this stupid cruise."

"Apart from Freddie, yeah?" she challenged, eyebrow raised, her lips twitching into a smile. I internally sighed with relief at the fact that she no longer seemed to be pissed off at me.

"Oh, yeah, him. He's okay too, I suppose," I mused jokingly, finally removing releasing Emily's hand, but maintaining the contact with one finger. "Although I think he gets on better with Effy."

"Jealous?" Emily questioned, nothing but genuine curiosity in her tone.

"Should be."

She nodded, looking down at our hands, then swivelling round in her chair slightly to follow my line of vision. Freddie was still watching Effy, who was now kissing her new friend. He looked like a dejected puppy.

"Feel free to call me rude and nosey for asking, but…why are you together?"

"You're rude and nosey for asking." I deadpanned, before breaking into a grin, chuckling at Emily's sigh of relief. "What do you mean?"

"He just…he doesn't seem like your type, really. Or at all. In the slightest…"

"I get it." I interrupted, placing my hand on top of hers to regain her attention, seeing no harm in leaving it there. "Freddie was there for me when I had no one and nothing. He helped me through a shit time without asking many questions, and he's been there ever since. He's… how can I put it? Freddie's…"

"Safe?" Emily supplied tentatively.

"Exactly. God, that sounds awful, doesn't it?" I smiled weakly, trying not to flinch when she turned my palm over and made light patterns with her fingertips.

"Not at all," she responded, shaking her head reassuringly. "I understand completely. Everyone has always taken the safe option at some point in life, it just makes things easier."

I nodded, resisting the urge to ask her if she was referring to a point in her life, attempting to push away the need to know everything and anything about her. Instead, I just hummed in agreement, revelling in the feel of her fingertip moving to make patterns on my wrist. She made me feel so much with such a simple touch.

Suddenly, she withdrew her hand, downed her wine, and stood up at the table. I looked up at her, bemused, and saw her smiling.

She leant across the table, her top gaping and giving me a generous view of her cleavage, which I'm _pretty _sure was her intention. She laid both of her hands on the table, and pressed her cheek against mine as she whispered in my ear.

"You have to remember, Naoms," she started, and I failed to suppress a quiver and her lips brushed against my ear, "the safe option is hardly ever the fun one."

With that, she stood up and walked towards the bar, placing her glass down, and walked out of the door, leaving me breathing heavily and slightly aroused.

I hardly even noticed Freddie take the recently vacated seat opposite me, and he resorted to waving a hand in front of my face to acquire my attention.

I shook myself out of my daze, looking at Freddie and asking him to repeat what he said. It turned out that it was a question I'd rather not answer…

"What'd I miss?"

**Yeah, Naomi, what'd he miss? Maybe then he'll take a hint...**


	9. Emotions

**Okay, so I apologise for the stupidly long wait, but I assure you that I had my reasons and things went a bit crap for a while. THANKFULLY I am an optimist, and got this chapter written as soon as everything calmed. Oh, and everything that happens in this chapter wasn't even vaguely planned, it kind of just came out...**

**Disclaimer: Even after this month-long wait, I STILL don't own skins.**

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking Lady Gaga!" I said (slightly louder than I had planned), and glanced around in the hope that I hadn't attracted too much attention with my outburst.

"I never said there was!" Emily responded, amused. "You just don't seem like the type."

"There you go again, making assumptions. First the croissants, now this. Well then, what sort of music do you like?" I challenged her, expecting the generic 'most indie music, nothing mainstream' answer.

She looked thoughtful for a few moments, before her face lit up as she apparently came up with an answer.

"I love Bruno Mars!" she exclaimed, leaning towards me across the table, placing a hand on my arm to convey her enthusiasm. "His music is really catchy."

I raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her hand before she sheepishly removed it, and then looked back at her seriously.

"Bruno Mars is crap." I stated, my tone mock sympathetic, as though pitying her for her appalling taste in music. We launched into yet another insult-filled, joke argument regarding interests, probably the tenth of the evening.

Emily, Freddie, Effy and I had all met for dinner again, whereas this time the atmosphere was not half as tense as it had been the previous day. I'd taken the seat next to Freddie and opposite Emily, and the conversation had been achingly dull for the first half hour or so. That was, until the drinks kept coming and the conversations split. Emily and I had spent the evening teasing each other and crying with laughter whilst discovering more and more about each other. Freddie and Effy were more reserved and relaxed, their heads close together, their voices low. I ignored them.

Having finished our meals about half an hour ago, we made our way to the open-air club, where people were drinking and dancing under the stars, or, if you were a pensioner, gazing quietly out to see with a glass of whisky. We grabbed a table and continued our conversations, Emily and I far more drunk than I had previously thought.

As the conversation lulled for the first time that night, I noticed a pretty, young brunette making her way over to our table, her expression nervous yet determined. Her eyes were fixed on Emily. I felt my fists clench automatically as I restrained myself from reaching across the table to grab her hand, anything to show that she was already taken, that she was mine. But she wasn't. My head spun.

The brunette glanced at me briefly, and I raised a challenging eyebrow. She smiled genuinely and stood in front of Emily. I watched the redhead closely for any silent cries for help or exasperated looks. Nothing.

"Sorry to interrupt," she started, looking only at Emily but apparently addressing us all. "I'm Freya."

We all nodded our heads in acknowledgement, and Emily replied with her own name. Seemingly pleased with her reaction, Freya leant in closer to Emily so that her mouth was brushing against her ear, and softly asked her to dance. My nails dug into my palms as I observed Emily shrug and smile, handing Effy her bag as she took Freya's hand. She looked at me pointedly, before making her way to the dancefloor. My eyes dropped to her swaying hips before I shook my head and downed my wine. Fuck.

"Looks like Emily's getting lucky tonight!" Freddie laughed, nudging me. He was apparently oblivious to the glare I was shooting at him. Effy wasn't.

"Probably; she loves it when girls are forward and know what they want." Effy stated, looking at me so hard I had to break the eye contact. Why would she say that?

"That's what attracted Nai to me, right?" Freddie smirked, kissing me on the cheek. I grimaced and nodded slightly, before catching sight of Emily on the dancefloor, grinding suggestively against the slutty brunette. I bit my lip, willing the pain in my chest and stomach to disappear immediately, and scolding myself for feeling anything at all.

I grabbed my bag and pushed my chair back from the table, ignoring the confused expression coming from Freddie and the amused one from Effy.

"I think I'm too drunk – I'm gonna go back. You have fun." I muttered, studiously keeping my eyes on the pair and ignoring the red in the corner of my eye, before striding quickly towards the cabins. I waited until I was out of sight before I allowed my eyes to fill with tears.

* * *

><p>I must have been asleep for around 2 hours when I heard the Freddie swear under his breath as he struggled with the door. I groaned at the interruption of my sleep, before curling up and quickly feigning sleep again.<p>

As soon as Freddie had entered the room, the footsteps and shuffling stopped. He was just standing there. Confused, I waited a few minutes before turning over to face him, completely unprepared for the sight I was faced with.

"Are you…are you _crying?_" I questioned incredulously, my voice husky from sleep. I rubbed my eyes to rid of the blurred vision; perhaps I was mistaken?

"I'm sorry, Naomi. So, so sorry." I swallowed hard. I had never seen Freddie cry in the two years that I had known him. What the fuck had happened?

"Sorry for what, Freds? It can't be that bad, surely?" I asked, my tired brain struggling to grasp the situation, my heart aching slightly at Freddie's distraught expression.

He wiped his eyes with his hands and shook his head, more tears leaking. He released a quivering breath and looked directly at me.

"I kissed Effy."

My immediate reaction was relief. Nobody had died, nobody was in danger.

Then came the instinctual need to lash out as the anger bubbled inside me.

Fortunately, Mrs Rational decided to make an appearance, reminding me about my own behaviour and feelings over the duration of the cruise.

My face must have been like some kind of film, the number of different expressions that washed across it over a ten second period. I looked at Freddie, his face apprehensive and anxious.

Eventually, I nodded.

"Okay." I stated, my tone dull and even.

Freddie's brow furrowed, his eyes still filled with tears.

"Okay? Did you even hear me?" He demanded angrily, clenching his fists.

"I'm sorry, would you prefer me to start screaming? To slap you? Kick you in the balls?" I questioned dryly.

His shoulders slumped as he took a seat next to me on the bed.

"I'd prefer you to care." He said softly.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, before I stood up and walked towards the door. I stopped before opening it, and turned around to face him, smiling sadly.

"I love you, Freddie. Firstly, I wasn't surprised. And secondly, don't think that this had ended us." His face lit up with hope and surprise, so I was quick to finish. "We've been clinging on for far too long. This just pushed us in the right direction, that's all."

He went to protest, but clearly thought better of it, nodding in sullen agreement instead.

I grabbed my cigarettes and quietly left the cabin.

* * *

><p>The smoke mingled with the cool air as I leaned in the same spot as I had done about a week ago. I shivered, silently berating myself for forgetting my jacket <em>again<em>, before allowing a single tear to roll down my cheek. I wondered where I planned on sleeping tonight, ensuring that it was the only question in my head. That meant repeatedly shoving out 'How the fuck did things get so shit?'

I was in the process of lighting my second cigarette when a familiar smell invaded my senses, and a warm jacket was placed around my shoulders. I closed my eyes, letting a smile ghost across my face. I looked down at the ground, noticing a pair of bare feet taking place next to mine, and allowed my smile to widen.

"Followed my example and went for the bare foot look, I see?" I joked feebly, staring straight ahead and relishing in the warmth of both the jacket and of the hand that had slipped into mine and rested on the railing.

"Thought I'd give it a try," Emily responded nonchalantly, although I could almost hear the smile in her voice. "That, and it's easier to sneak up on vulnerable, pretty women such as you."

I snorted, finally turning slightly to look at her. My heart warmed at the look of concern and kindness that I saw in her eyes. My smile faded slightly, and I took another drag of my cigarette.

"Wouldn't have thought you'd need to prey on me, what with _Freya_ asking you to dance." I stated, surprised myself at the bitter tone of my voice. If Emily was shocked, she hid it well.

She plucked the cigarette from between my lips, taking a quick drag before returning it to me, gazing thoughtfully into my eyes.

"I left not long after you did. I wasn't in the mood any more," she responded, and I attempted to hide my look of pleasant surprise. "Anyway, she was thick as shit." She smiled when I laughed out loud, her thumb running over my knuckles.

"Can't have that." I laughed.

"No," she agreed, still smiling. She hesitated slightly, before continuing. "Effy told me what happened. Are you okay?"

It took me a while to consider my answer. Yes, I was upset by Freddie's actions, but I wasn't sure if I had any right to be. Of course I was saddened by the fact that my 2 year relationship had come to an end, but it was hardly sudden.

"I will be." I squeezed Emily's hand and stepped a fraction closer to her. "I'm going to go back to the cabin. I assume Freddie will be asleep on the floor anyway."

She nodded, then frowned as I went to remove her favourite jacket from around my shoulders.

"Keep it, please. For now," she insisted, pulling it tighter around me. "You can give it back to me when I see you tomorrow morning."

Whether it was because I was overwhelmed with different emotions, or because Emily looked like the most beautiful woman in the world in the moonlight, or even because I had been thinking about doing this every few minutes, I didn't have the power to stop myself as I grabbed both of her hands and pulled her into my.

"Thank you," I whispered, before closing the distance between us, moaning as soon as our lips touched. Despite having already kissed, this felt completely different. Purer. The kiss was both soft and eager, and in my opinion, perfect.

And as Emily tangled her hands in my hair, and mine fell comfortably to her hips, I knew for a fact that this cruise was only just beginning.

**Just to clarify, Lady Gaga is Queen in my opinion. Feel free to leave negative feedback on this story, but leave Gaga out of this!**


	10. The Morning After  Part 1

***whistles nonchalantly* Sooo...it's been a while, eh? Look, I'm really sorry and I don't even have an excuse except I got my AS results and they were better than expected so then uni applications came and time flew and until I got a couple of favourites recently I had almost forgotten this story! This chapter is insanely short, but it's just to keep you guys (if any of you remain, that is), going for a few days before the next part comes up. Sorry again! Oh, also, I haven't checked this for mistakes. **

"Shit, bollocks, wank, fuck, shit!"

That was my wake up call the following morning. My eyes remained closed and I simply turned away from the noise, snuggling further into the covers. Freddie was always clumsy; this was hardly out of the ordinary.

Except…_Freddie._

My eyes flew open as the previous night's events came flooding into my mind, although I stayed facing away from my boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend. I was suddenly filled with conflicting emotions. Firstly, disappointment, regret and resentment at the man now swearing softly under his breath as he moved around the room. Then, guilt on my part, as I recalled the time spent kissing a woman I hardly knew on the same night that my two-year relationship fell to pieces. Finally, I my stomach bubbled with the excitement common in 14-year-old girls when they are overcome with the anticipation of seeing their latest crush again.

I continued to lie there for a few minutes longer, attempting to answer the numerous questions that the rational part of my brain was throwing at me, whilst simultaneously trying to quell the excitement; it was hardly appropriate in the situation. I couldn't help but be concerned that the feelings I was having for this stranger were being intensified by the setting, and that the problems Freddie and I were having at the moment were only temporary, and things would go back to normal when we returned home.

But then the thought of returning home to normality, to routine, to the thrilling life of a Bristolian receptionist, quite swiftly rid of those concerns. It was fair neither to Freddie nor myself to continue the way we were, and ending it was the right, if not only, decision. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to turn over and face reality.

"Freddie, I –" I paused momentarily, firstly noticing Freddie's blood-shot eyes, before taking in exactly what he was doing. "You've officially gone insane."

"What?" he glanced up at me, continuing to walk around the room, limping slightly. I could only assume that was the reason for the long list of obscenities that had awoken me.

"You're packing. We are on a cruise ship, and you are packing. Yes, we had an argument and broke up and you slept on the floor and, by the look of it, cried, but really?" I paused to take a breath and gesture to the half-filled suitcase. "Unless there's a helicopter on its way to this ship as we speak to return you to dry land, or you have become an exceptionally good swimmer, then you have gone insane."

Freddie smiled weakly despite himself, dropping the T-shirt that he was in the process of packing onto the floor.

"I'm not planning on swimming all the way back to Bristol, Nai," he started, but was interrupted by my scoff. He could barely do a length at the public pool back in Bristol, I hardly suspected he'd drastically improved now. "I popped out this morning, checked about spare accommodation, and it turns out there is another cabin. I tried to pack when you were asleep, but I stood on your fucking hairbrush. How you put that through your hair without slicing your head, I'll never know."

I felt a pang of hurt, both at the thought of him trying to leave when I was still asleep and the idea of him leaving at all. Things may not have been perfect, but we'd been together a while. He was all I really knew.

"Right, so you slipped the bloke some money and he probably grouped a few guest parties together so that you could have a room. All that fuss, and I'm sure Effy would have taken you in if you'd only asked!" I responded sarcastically. I knew I had no right to be like this, but I was truly offended that he was leaving without a word to me in the morning. I sighed and my bitter expression softened at the look of guilt and distress on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Naomi. I figured you'd prefer me to leave as soon as possible. I was doing what I thought was best for you," he defended his actions, returning to his packing with a sniff. "I know you think I'm a dick, and I am. But I still always want what's best for you. Always."

Biting back a snide comment about his romantic and girly tendencies, I nodded briskly and stood up to get dressed. I was about to remove my top when I suddenly felt highly uncomfortable, and ensured my back was to Freddie whilst I threw on some clothes.

"I know, Freddie. I'll see you around." I said before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind me. I leant my back against the door, covering my closed eyes with my hands and sighing heavily.

"Ugh, what the fuck am I going to do?" I muttered to myself.

"For starters, you can stop talking to yourself, because you'll make very boring company over breakfast if that continues." My hands dropped from my face and my eyes sprung open at the familiar husk of Emily's voice. "Then, go straight back into your room and grab some shoes, because this, young peasant girl, is getting repetitive."

I scowled mockingly at her for a moment, before I couldn't keep it up any longer and my face broke out into a lazy grin. I turned to open the door again before the prospect of re-entering Depression Central made me rethink my actions.

"Or, you know, you go bare feet. I heard cave girl is in." Emily said cheerily, before walking off down the corridor. I stared after her, dazed at her ability to transform my entire mood in a couple of seconds, before noticing that she'd stopped and had turned to look at me, an amused expression on her face. "Well? You coming?"

I glanced at the door to my cabin once more, then back at Emily, before the gentle and hopeful glint in her eyes made the decision for me.

"Of course. However, this floor is fucking freezing, so a piggy-back would be much appreciated." I joked, walking quickly to reach her as she continued towards the food area.

"In your dreams, Campbell. Come on, before all the croissants are gone."

**End of Part 1 ;) I've always wanted to say that. I'm clearly easily pleased, christmas must be so easy for my parents. Speaking of which, Merry Christmas everyone!**


	11. The Morning After Part 2

**One thing you must all learn is never to trust me. If I say that I will take a few days to upload a chapter, I am lying. If I say that I have read over a chapter and checked for spelling mistakes, I am lying. And finally, if I say that I own Skins or any of the characters, I am still lying. Sorry for the wait**

"So, Campbell, what's it gonna be? Anything off the menu, my treat." Emily said as we took a seat in the food area.

"Emily, this cruise is full-board; all the food is pre-paid for. And it's a buffet." I responded with a raised eyebrow.

"I know, but I've never actually said that before. I thought that now was as good a time as any," she winked, standing up from the table. "I always wonder why everyone does that at buffets; goes and sits down, only to stand up again immediately to go and get food."

"You mean like you just did?"

Emily paused for a moment. "Yes."

We quickly served ourselves breakfast, Emily opting for the full English whilst I picked at some toast. We sat in a mostly comfortable silence, although I could tell that Emily was wracking her brain for a way to break it, whilst respectfully avoiding the sensitive topic of my extremely recent break-up. I sipped at my orange juice, unaware that I was observing her until she caught my eye, and we both blushed and looked away. Okay, so many the silence wasn't that comfortable after all.

"Remember when we kissed?" Emily blurted out, her eyes widening at her own enquiry. It looked like she was giving herself a serious internal kicking. I was almost amused at her expression before she seemed to pull herself together with a quick shake of her head and looked towards me expectantly. I gulped almost cartoon-style, wishing we were still eating in awkward silence.

"I…uh…well, yeah. I may be forgetful but my short-term memory loss isn't that abysmal," I chuckled, desperate to relieve the tension with some humour, seemingly failing when Emily didn't crack a smile. "Of course. Why?"

"I dunno, it's just…" she paused with a cute frown on her face, obviously debating with herself whether or not to continue. I reached over the table and linked my pinkie finger with hers, both delighting and cursing myself at the electricity that seemed to spark at our connection, before settling on delight when Emily's frown relaxed into a gentle smile. "It's just, we're going to be on this cruise for the next couple of weeks, and I'd really like us to get to know each other. But I won't forget…_can't_ forget that we've kissed, and I-"

"Emily."

"…get that this might have been an experiment or whatever to you, but if you at least _acknowledge_ that-"

"Emily!" I finally interrupted her, fully covering her hand with mine. She stopped mid-sentence and breathed out an embarrassed laugh before pulling her hand away and covering her face with her hands. I leaned across the table, my hair draping in her beans, and took both of her hands in mine. "This is new to me, and -"

"I know that, but-"

"Stop interrupting me!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. "As I was saying before I was so _rudely _interrupted, this is new to me. But that doesn't mean that it was all a mistake, or an experiment or whatever. We only met a few days ago, and I can assure you, Emily Fitch, that I'd like to get to know you too."

"Favourite comedian?"

"Miranda. You?"

"Michael McIntyre."

Emily nodded in agreement at my choice, although she looked a bit surprise at my comedy preference. I smiled as I watched her carefully consider her next question.

"Favourite Subway sandwich?" she questioned.

"Meatball Marinara on hearty Italian bread…mmm." I responded, my mouth watering at the thought despite my lack of appetite at breakfast. "You?"

"Huh, strange. Definitely thought you'd be a vegetarian, what with all of the injustice stuff. Uh, I'll go with the sweet onion chicken teriyaki. Your turn."

After breakfast, Emily and I had remained sitting at the table holding hands before Emily had randomly asked me what my favourite colour was. The question-asking was quickly becoming more difficult than the answering, as this game had lasted well over an hour. We'd already covered the important question of 'favourite form of public transport', and there were only so many random questions you could use as an excuse to put off the extra personal questions, and we were both aware that that was exactly what we were doing.

"Umm, I dunno, favourite way to wake up?" I asked offhandedly, guessing that she was more of a natural riser than an alarm clock sort of girl.

"Sex. Well, someone initiating it," Emily answered, licking her lips whilst glancing at mine. I believe I turned an impossible shade of red, my eyes widening at the unexpectedness of her answer. "You?"

I held her gaze and wondered if I imagined the fact that her pupils had dilated imperceptibly.

"I was going to say to the sound of birds singing or the smell of breakfast, but you've successfully made me sound like an 80-year-old woman. Cheers for that."

Emily laughed heartily, throwing her head back and exposing the creamy skin of her neck. I gripped the bottom of my chair to prevent myself from jumping across the table and onto her.

"Don't be silly," she responded, her tone affectionate. "Those are nice ways too. I'm just not sure I'd like the smell of the breakfast they do in an old peoples' home!"

She had barely finished speaking before I reached out and hit her shoulder playfully, knowing from the teasing glint in her eye that she was taking the piss. We both laughed and joked for a few minutes, and I couldn't help but be surprised at how easy this was. Shouldn't I be still internally struggling with my feelings, acting distant and slightly bitchy? In fact, shouldn't I have left it five minutes after breaking up with my long-term boyfriend before getting into something with someone else?

A female someone else!

Okay, I had successfully caused myself to freak out, and was about to have a mental breakdown. Excellent.

"Oh, Nai, you've got a little bit of butter just here…" My internal breakdown was immediately halted by the fact that Emily had leaned across the table and used her thumb to swipe some butter from the corner of my mouth. The sensation made me close my eyes, and I could feel Emily's breath on my face. When I opened them again, her dark brown eyes were looking directly into mine, the intensity of her stare almost causing me to shiver. I could see a bit of cleavage in my peripheral vision from where she was leaning, but I was reluctant to break the unspoken staring competition we appeared to be having.

"There," she said softly, bringing her thumb to her lips and licking off the butter. "All gone."

Before I had time to spontaneously combust, we were interrupted by the sound of a chair scraping. Emily quickly returned to her seat, and we both looked up in time to see Effy plop down into the chair, her knowing gaze flickering between the two of us.

"Well, isn't this cosy?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. I couldn't distinguish whether her tone was joking or bitter. I glanced at Emily, and concluded that she was having the same trouble.

"Uh, alright Eff?" Emily asked and looked nervously between us. I expected she was worried that I would jump up, throw the table aside and start screaming at Effy for 'stealin' ma man' or something similar. There were numerous reasons that that would never happen, the first being that when things like that happen on TV, I always feel a huge amount of pity for whoever has to clean up the broken plates and glasses. As well as this, I was still unsure as to whether Effy was simply helping me along in my decision to end the relationship or if she actually wanted Freddie. Either way, I'd never have called him 'ma man', so it didn't matter.

"I'm great. Perfect. But do you know who isn't?" Effy questioned, picking at some of the bacon on Emily's plate. Emily shrugged, and I bit back a sarcastic remark and followed suit. "Your ex. He is completely _ridden_ with guilt over the fact that he was having feelings for someone that wasn't you and even went as far as to kiss them!"

I frowned, understanding her point but also considering how entirely inappropriate the comment was coming from her. Before I had the chance to respond, Emily had turned into Fiery McBitcherson and was scowling at our new company.

"As he fucking well should!" she started, hands on hips and eyes blazing. It was hot, but I didn't want her to carry on. "It's cheating!"

"Emily…"

"No, Naomi, if he's feeling guilty then so-fucking-what, it was his decision to cheat-"

"Emily, just-"

"And he won't get any sympathy from us. Jesus, he cheated, Eff. With you!" Emily finished, leaning back in her seat and gesturing to Effy, who had a huge smirk on her face. "What?"

I took my cue from Effy and stayed silent, looking pointedly at Emily until she realised her mistake. She looked confused for a few more seconds before the realisation hit her and she briefly closed her eyes and shot me a look of apology.

"Which is fine. There are always exceptions for that sort of thing, and urm, if the relationship is problematic and the person feels-"

"Em, it's fine, stop. There are no exceptions for cheating, no matter how over the relationship already is, it's wrong." I relieved Emily of her worrying, taking her hand across the table having already forgotten about Effy's presence. She smiled apologetically and all I could think about is when I would next get to kiss her, and whether I'd have to ask.

We finally broke eye contact when we were interrupted once again by the same sound of a chair scraping, this time signalling the departure of Effy. I almost sighed with relief, until she stopped next to me on her way past.

"Tell him. It isn't fair for him to be crying with guilt whilst you have breakfast and sunbathe with your new girlfriend." And with that she was gone.

Emily and I sat in complete silence, both looking down at our plates, me fiddling with my bracelets and her lightly drumming her fingers on the table.

"Sorry about Effy. She must like him if she's already defending him, though. That's not normally her style." Emily stated eventually, nudging my foot with hers under the table. I smiled weakly. "And ignore the whole girlfriend thing, I'm not about to ask you to move in with me yet. We tend to leave that for the third date."

That earned her a chuckle, and we made eye contact and smiled at each other. The negative feelings seemed to dissipate as soon as I got lost in her eyes, and I started to think that all the hard stuff that may be to come, with telling Freddie that I'm just as bad as him, and anything else that we come up against, might not be as rubbish if I had Emily with me.

I turned my chair to face the ocean and was pleased when Emily did the same, after moving hers closer to mine so that we were side by side.

"Hey, Naomi?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" I responded, still looking straight ahead.

"Did she say he was crying?" I heard a touch of humour in her voice.

"Don't even ask."

**I sound like a huge bitch, men crying isn't a bad thing at all, I just don't particularly like Freddie. All you millions of male readers I know are out there, I apologise.**


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everyone (all 2 or so of you). So I'm gonna be honest with you…I've lost all interest in this story and due to a number of things happening, I'm not going to finish it. I can't decide whether or not to delete it, but I suppose it doesn't really matter either way, so it will be up here for a little while.

Sorry to anyone who was still bothered, but it's been ages since the Skins stuff on here was really good (except a few brilliant stories that are still going), and I just don't think anything I write will be my best!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate all the reviews, favourites and follows.


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